Heart-to-Heart Contest Judges and Winners
2017 Judges
Please check back for updates to this list.
Contemporary
- – Agent Nalini Akolekar, Spencerhill Associates
- – Print Editor Sue Grimshaw, Editor-at-Large at Penguin-Random House Ballantine, Bantam, Dell – Loveswept, Flirt
- – E-Pub Editor Toni Kelley, Acquisitions Editor for Extasy Books
Romantic Suspense
- – Agent Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
- – Print Editor Mary Altman, Sourcebooks Romance
- – E-Pub Editor Rhonda Merwarth, Carina Press
Erotica
- – Agent
- – Print Editor Melissa Bendixen, Gallery/Simon and Schuster
- – E-Pub Editor Tera Cuskaden, Entangled, Select Otherworld
Historical
- – Agent Lizzie Poteet, Seymour Agency
- – Print Editor Jennie Conway, St. Martin’s Press
- – E-Pub Editor Alycia Tornetta, Entangled
Paranormal
- – Agent Lane Haymont, The Tobias Literary Agency
- – Print Editor
- – E-Pub Editor Stephanie Doig, Assistant Editor, Carina Press
YA
- – Agent Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary
- – Print Editor Michael Strother, Harlequin/TEEN
- – E-Pub Editor Samantha McMahon, SoulMate Publishing
2016 Winners
Contemporary
- First Place: Celeste Deveney, Only Till Midnight *
- Second Place: Angie Hockman, The Hustler *
- Third Place: Gabrielle Luthy, Miracle on Tenth Avenue
Erotica
- First Place: Tanicia Bell, Daughers of Flame: Book One, The Artist
- Second Place: Angie Ballard, Sowing Wild Oats
- Third Place: Liz Adams, A Werewolf Christmas
Historical
- First Place: Mary-Teresa Heath, A Marquess in the Making *
- Second Place: Mary-Teresa Heath, At Bealtaine’s Bidding
- Third Place: Vicky Oliver, Parlor Games
Paranormal
- First Place: Michelle Bond, The Twenty-Eighth Kiss *
- Second Place: Marlene Relja, Capsos Rising
- Third Place: Tanicia Bell, Vampireling: Book One *
YA
- First Place: Nicole Hohmann, Our Center of Gravity *
- Second Place: Terra Rogerson, The Break-Up Instructions *
- Third Place: Sarah Zettler, Leaving Hollow *
* request for synopsis, partial manuscript, or full manuscript
2016 Final Judges
Contemporary
- Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency – Agent
- Elle Keck, Harper Collins – Print Editor
- Toni Kelley, Extasy Books – E-Pub Editor
Erotica
- Sarah Bush, Trident Media Group – Agent
- Adam Wilson, Gallery/Simon and Schuster – Print Editor
- Tera Cuskaden, Entangled – E-Pub Editor
Historical
- Tamar Rydzinski, Laura Dail Literacy Agency – Agent
- Nicole Fisher, Avon – Print Editor
- Alycia Tornetta, Entangled – E-Pub Editor
Paranormal
- Lane Haymont, The Seymour Agency – Agent
- Bethany Blair, Berkley – Print Editor
- Stephanie Doig, Carina Press – E-Pub Editor
YA
- Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary – Agent
- Michael Strother, Harlequin – Print Editor
- Samantha McMahon, SoulMate Publishing – E-Pub Editor
2015 Winners
Contemporary
- First Place: MM Jaye, Fate Captured *
- Second Place: Sally Brandle, A Mule, A Mob Hit and A Mountain of Trouble *
- Third Place: Rebecca Smith, She’s Got Game
Erotica
- First Place: Sarah Hall, Breaking My Rules *
- Second Place: M.A. Dison, Alaska Bound *
- Third Place: Kaytlin Rose, Changing Tides
Historical
- First Place: Jan Lehy, The Secret Affairs of a Duke’s Daughter *
- Second Place: Christina Alexandra, The Seduction of the Duke *
- Third Place: Laura Davies Tilley, Green Mountain Rogue
Paranormal
- First Place: Kameron Claire, Special Order *
- Second Place (tie): Erica Miles, Skin
- Second Place (tie): Therese Rittenbach, My Kind of Love
- Third Place: Lynn Vasquez, The Ghost of James Fitzpatrick
YA
- First Place: Roxanne Stellmacher, Queen of All Fates
- Second Place: Janet Halpin, The Nascent Bloom
- Third Place: Beth Barany, Dinah, Fallen Angel
* request for synopsis, partial manuscript, or full manuscript
2015 Final Judges
Contemporary
- Jay Austin, EIC – Agent
- Rebecca Lucash, Harper Collins – Print Editor
- Emmanuelle Morgen, Stonesong – E-Pub Editor
Erotica
- Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literacy Agency – Agent
- Adam Wilson, Gallery/Simon and Schuster – Print Editor
- Tera Cuskaden, Samhain – E-Pub Editor
Historical
- Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency – Agent
- Nicole Fisher, Avon – Print Editor
- Alycia Tornetta, Entangled – E-Pub Editor
Paranormal
- Lane Haymont, The Seymour Agency – Agent
- Bethany Blair, Berkley – Print Editor
- Kerri Buckley, Carina Press – E-Pub Editor
YA
- Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary – Agent
- Natashya Wilson, HQN – Print Editor
- Kimberly Blythe, Omnific Publishing – E-Pub Editor
2014 Winners
Contemporary
- First Place: Seana Shelby, Welcome Home, Katie Gallagher *
- Second Place: Karyn Mendoza, Hot Pants for the Hotspur
- Third Place: Tara Wyatt, Off Guard *
Historical
- First Place: Crystal Eliot, Lessons in Scandal *
- Second Place: Susan Hammond, How to Train Your Knight *
- Third Place: Karen Aragon, Queen of Diamonds
Paranormal
- First Place: Alleyne Dickens, Stalking Horse *
- Second Place: Jennifer Hover, The Last Marine
- Third Place: Jennifer Hover, Citadel
YA
- First Place: Elly Takaki, The Frost King *
- Second Place: Shannon Godwin, The Goddess Hunter
- Third Place: David Rodeback, Love and Rules
* request for synopsis, partial manuscript, or full manuscript
2013 Winners
Contemporary
- First Place: Christine Harvey*, In Concert
- Second Place: Maisie Rubinstein, Rules For Burning
- Third Place: PamelaGibson*, Balancing Act
Historical
- First Place: Jennifer Ensor, Lady Beauchamp’s Proposal**
- Second Place: Pat Eckhoff, Beauford’s Run
- Third Place: Pamela Aares Westfall Bochte*, The Lady and the Patriot
Paranormal
- First Place: Jennifer Hover, Sated
- Second Place: Karen Bynum, Becoming**
- Third Place: Briana MacWilliam, The Book of Dracon
- Fourth Place: Carla Smith, A Promise Given
YA
- First Place (Tie): Darlene Ishigo, Echo
- First Place (Tie): Paula Garner, Phantom Limbs
- Second Place: Karen Bynum, Running From Shadows
* SFA-RWA Member
** request for partial or full manuscript